victorians

Well, that went well. I really enjoyed my first live-streaming experience on Kickstarter last night – and learnt a lot too. It was great to have a few watchers live, but also it’s been fantastic that people have continued to watch after the event. I even managed to gain 3 more backers from the experience – hooray for Harold, Emily and Josh!

If you missed it, I largely chuntered on about the roots of the project, featuring The Emerald of Wolla-Wolla and telling the story that you’ll also find here on the making of page. But I also spoke a little about how running the project had been and gave a shout-out to the first 50 backers.

It was so much fun that I immediately scheduled another livestream: Monday 25th, 8.30pm. I guess it’ll probably be another 30 minute long sort of thing, but I’m anticipating sharing more about meeting and marketing… I’ve also discovered there is a Beta test option to simultaneously stream to Facebook – which I will DEFINITELY employ. I can see that stream getting even more interest.

Anyway, between now and then I am going to try and do some old-fashioned face-to-face marketing. I still have 500 flyers advertising the project and this weekend there are two Steampunk Convivials (that’s the name steampunks give to their meetups/conventions/festivals) at locations withing striking distance. The Crossness Engines Steampunk Convivial is going to be held just south and along the river from where we live – at the fascinating Gothic Revival Palace of Sanitation that is the Crossness Pumping Station. I discovered the place a few months ago on a long riverside walk (from Woolwich to Erith). It is one of several incredible late victorian buildings that housed massive steam engines to pump sewage through Bazalgette’s ground-breaking sewer system. And they still have their MASSIVE BEAM ENGINES, apparently in working, restored condition. So what an opportunity to see inside, as well as to meet up with a good proportion of my target audience…

Then on Sunday there’s a similar event, the Essextraordinaire III, at Maldon, at the Museum of Power, which hosts another working steam engine. If I manage to get to both I’ll be very pleased with them, but I’m stirred to try and do it. That means a bit of a push for me since although I’m fine starting conversations, I get very English and ‘over-polite’ about trying to sell people something / ask for something. Personal growth and publishing at the same time – wooh!